Pain & sacrifice are only temporary…failure is forever, welcome to the Tribe!!!! ***Fitness Australia Registered***

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Meet Your Trainers

PAUL BIRCH – HEAD TRAINER

Head trainer Paul has had extensive years of MMA experience, and has trained in both Australia and Thailand. He is a qualified personal trainer, Rock & Water Instructor, Ex First grade Rugby Union player from Sydney, as well as specialises in preparing warriors for upcoming fights, athletes competing in other sports, or just the novice wishing to make a change in their life.

He also specialises in MMA fitness training, now a popular way to maintain health and fitness. Paul previously worked in Law enforcement for well over 24 years in NSW as a ranking commissioned Officer, so having the experience in working in numerous stressful situations. Paul has commanded numerous Armed Robbery Squads as well as Commanded Tasks forces investigating violent crimes including Murder. Paul was a Detective with extensive years of experience as well as trained in Close Personal Protection including protecting heads of state including protecting the Australian Prime Minister. Paul has extensive experience investigating serious crimes and with that has worked with various groups including victims of crime and offenders.

So Paul understands how the will to improve can get lost when you are feeling down. Because of this extensive experience, Paul has a unique understanding about having the mental edge when it comes to focus training and developing a mindset for success.

Having dealt with troubled youth, adults with confidence issues as well as victims of crime, Paul has the ability to get the best out of others to change their life path in a more positive direction.

So coming to Tribal MMA & Fitness is not just about getting fit, but actually improving your overall well being which will make you feel in a better place each time you come and train with us.

Diploma of Business completed March 2015, CLET “College for Law Education and Training”.

Diploma of Work Health and Safety completed March 2015, CLET.

Diploma of Security and Risk Management completed March 2015, CLET.

Diploma of Government (Investigation) completed March 2015, CLET.

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment completed March 2015, CLET.

Certificate IV in Fitness completed March 2015, CLET.

Certificate III in Fitness completed October 2015, CLET.

Certificate III in Investigative Services completed March 2015, CLET.

Provide an Emergency First Aid Response in an Education and Care setting completed March 2015.

Sworn in as JP Queensland at Caloundra Magistrates Court 7th July 2015.

ROCK & Water instructor

Blue card holder to train young students.

CONNOR BIRCH

Connor Birch was born in Sydney and finished year 12 at Kawana Waters High School, Sunshine Coast Queensland in 2014. Connor is currently doing his Certificate 3 & 4 in personal training. He is blue card qualified.

Connor loves training and has been doing mixed martial arts from an early age. Connor has trained in Sydney at PMA MMA, a location that currently is training UFC fighters. Connor has also trained in Thailand, training and learning at locations such as Rawai Muay Thai 2011, Tiger Muay Thai 2013 and most recently AKA Thailand 2015.

Connor is an active MMA Fighter having fought on promotions Cage Soldiers 3 and XFC. His current record is 3 win’s, 1 loss. Connor won the Light Weight XFC Amateur title at XFC 28 on 19/11/16 against tough opponent Elton Pure.

Connor also loves rugby league having played representative level in Sydney at an early age.

Connor enjoys training people and his infectious smile and manner will encourage you to greater goal achievements.

ANDREW BAILEY

Andrew Bailey is the head BJJ coach at Tribal MMA.

A Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Andrew first started training martial arts June 1997 with a short stint at a shoot fighting academy in Geelong. He soon left and started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Peter de Been at his Torquay academy in August 1997. With his younger brother already training there in the junior classes, it was a great opportunity to train at the same academy and learn together. In his first session Andrew was completely blown away by the calibre of students and their technical skills, having just been humbled by some of the much smaller and younger students. He continued to train at the Peter de Been academy in Torquay and occasionally at the head club in StKilda for the next 10 years. Andrew was a regular competitor in State and Pan Pacific competitions, while training in Victoria.

In 2008 Andrew moved to Brisbane and commenced training at the Brisbane Peter de Been academy under the guidance of one of Peter’s first black belts, Darren McKean. From 2008 until 2012 Andrew continued to train and assist teaching at the academy as well as others in Brisbane.

In 2013 Andrew returned to Victoria and began training at his home club of Torquay again. Struggling with the cold weather and lack of sunshine, the move back south was short lived. Returning to the Sunshine State for work and to open his own 100% de Been Academy on the Sunshine Coast.

Andrew’s journey in BJJ has been strongly influenced by his friends and coaches Peter de Been, Darren Mckean and many of the training partners at the various de been clubs he frequented in his early years.

Joining the Tribe at Tribal MMA, Andrew brings with him years of BJJ experience training and teaching both kids and adult classes..

Ju Jitsu is the study of the body and its reactions, in movement, anatomic functions and psychology, by training the practitioner to select the appropriate method or techniques to counter an attacker.

The practitioner of Ju Jitsu also learns the justifiable level of force to end an assault, depending on the situation. Recognition of the law is considered as significant as the traditional concept of respecting the art and not abusing the art for self-gratification.

Junanshin Ju Jitsu as taught by Sensei Leo Richards, is a contemporary yet traditional combat oriented system of self-defence.

Suitable for adults and children, it is a system that maintains its efficiency at any range using punching, kicking or grappling.

Included in its syllabus is:

Defence against assault from single and multiple attackers

Restraints and evictions

The Weapons syllabus includes using and defending:

The Jo (Stick)

Tanbo (Knife)

Katana (Sword)

Baseball Bat

Chains

Broken Bottles

A brief history of

JAPANESE JU JITSU

History is deeply embedded within the Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu system which was founded in 1658 by Tsutsumi Yam Shiron Qrakami Hozan, a master of Takeuchi Ryu, at Niigata on Honshu Island. Believing that Kata training would not develop the ability to respond rapidly to attacks he tried to introduce a method of training the reflexes.

Meeting with resistance within the Takeuchi Ryu, Tsutsumi left in order to further develop the art and incorporate reflex training. To date students of Tsutsumi Ryu are still promoted according to their performance on reflex gradings.

Tsutsumi Masao, the last Tsutsumi Grandmaster, died in 1898. Among his students were Higashi. K, Saito. K (7th Dan), and Saito. S (8th Dan). Tsutsumi and Higashi were involved in the development of Kano Jujitsu, the precursor to Judo.

Professor Kano’s original intention being to bring together into one system the best of the Jujitsu schools, Tsutsumi contributed greatly to the expansion of the Kano Jujitsu system. Higashi co-authored a book with Irving Hancock entitled “The Complete Kano Jujitsu”.

The same Saito brothers were the late Shihan Jan de Jong’s teachers.

Shihan passed his knowledge on to the late Sensei Graham Dunn who in turn passed these skills on to LEO RICHARDS

The school of JUNANSHIN JU JITSU (J.J.J) was founded in July 2006 by its principle instructor Leo Richards.

Thirty five years of training, teaching and competition in the martial arts has seen Leo cover a wide variety of styles including: Japanese Ju Jitsu, Brazilian JiuJitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Thai Boxing. However, it was the effectiveness and versatility of JU JITSU that captured Leo’s attention.

Leo has concentrated his efforts in JU JITSU and has made it his mission to spread its effectiveness as a Self Defence system.

The philosophies of JUNANSHIN JU JITSU is that although traditional techniques are important if too much emphasis is placed on rigidity and the separation of components of each technique, then not only will the effectives of the style be compromised so to will the enjoyment of learning self defence.

In fact the translation of JUNANSHIN is “flexible mind” and it is this representation that sees J.J.J. continually evolving while maintaining its traditional values.

Courtney Rose was born in New Zealand and move to Australia with her family as a child. She has grown up on the Sunshine Coast making it her home.

Health and fitness has been a major part of her life. This passion started as a 5year old when she started playing soccer which lead her to advancing to representative soccer and coaching. She loves to share her knowledge of fitness and developing youth with their, self belief and learning about themselves as a person in the process. She had the honour to do this for Arsenal Australia running soccer schools and scouting talent.

Courtney is a qualified personal trainer and is currently training and preparing for a natural bodybuilding competition to challenge herself mentally and physically. Through personal experiences like this she believes she can then help others with challenges they may face when trying to achieve their own goals.

Courtney loves to continuously learn about the health and fitness industry. This year will prove just that with her developing skills in MMA and also studying in sports nutrition.

Matt is Australia’s first home grown Luta Livre coach and was graduated under RFT Luta Livre Black Belt Nico Welko. He began his martial arts journey in 2004 with Kung Fu before transitioning to Brazilian Jiujitsu and MMA shortly after. After a number of years training and competing in these modalities, Matt sought out a new direction and began teaching his own classes at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Over time he realised his true passion was for submission grappling and Matt began researching various wrestling styles before learning about Luta Livre, Brazil’s original submission wrestling art.

Luta Livre, which translates in Portuguese as ‘Fight Free’ (ie no uniforms, most submissions and tactics etc allowed) began as the Brazilian form of Catch as Catch Can Wrestling in the late 1880s to early 1900s but expanded and evolved due to the work of Euclydes ‘Tatu’ Hatem, Brazilian Vale Tudo and Catch Wrestling champion, who is credited as the art’s founder. Tatu blended the swift and brutal catch wrestling style with techniques from judo newaza to create a highly efficient submission fighting style which resembles much of modern MMA grappling.

Knowing that he had found his calling, Matt made contact with Nico Welko, a Luta Livre Black Belt and sports scientist from Germany and together they set out to establish Luta Livre in Australia in a sustainable and values driven way. The Welko Academy/RFT Team Australia is now the first official Luta Livre club in the country and is recognised by the standards of RFT, the world leaders of Luta Livre, who have athletes in ADCC, UFC, Bellator and more. Together with the team at Tribal MMA we will continue to deliver the message of personal development and positivity that underpins our coaching, traditions and affiliates.

Matt also holds a degree in community development and counselling, group fitness qualifications and has a long work history in mental health advocacy, suicide prevention, case management and youth work. Matt uses his passion for grappling and fitness to create an environment where students can develop their skills for a range of desired outcomes, whether it is health, fitness, competition, confidence or a better understanding of themselves as individuals and members of their communities.

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Jay odell RFT Australia Luta Livre Trainer.

Jay is a Luta Livre Orange belt and has recently received his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He was introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2012 in Toowoomba one year prior to moving to the Sunshine Coast where he started training under and alongside Matt Hull-Styles. In 2013 Jay met Matt Hull-Styles at the University of the Sunshine Coast and started a regular training regime with Matt as his coach and regular training partner.

During this time Jay competed in multiple Lockdown Submission Grappling events earning himself multiple medals and accumulating enough points on his own to keep the small RFT Team Australia team in the top ten as well as receiving highest points scored for the under 84kg novice division for 2015.

In April 2015 he was presented with his Orange Belt in Luta Livre by RFT Black Belt Nico Welko. In 2016 he took the initiative to help Matt organise for Nico to visit for a second time in which he spent 3 weeks training with Nico in the Luta Livre style of submission wrestling. Jay Organised a series of Luta Livre seminars to help cover the expenses for the trip and it is during organising one of these seminars that he became acquainted with Paul Birch and Tribal MMA and as a result was extended an invitation for Matt and himself to start training and coaching Luta Livre at Tribal MMA.

Since beginning training at tribal Jay has become a coach in his own right focusing on developing the variety of techniques available to the grappling arsenal of Tribal MMA and RFT Team Australia. He has also resumed training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under de Been Black Belt Andrew Bailey and received his Blue Belt in May of 2017.

SAMANTHA ROSE, MASSAGE THERAPY AND REMEDIAL MASSAGE.

Samantha Rose was born in New Zealand then moved to the Sunshine Coast as a young girl. From a young age she has been involved in many sports; from playing in the Sunshine Coast basketball team in primary school to competing in volleyball and winning the Australian schools cup at the national titles.

After graduating from caloundra state high school she started work full time in pharmacy when she decided to study full time in massage. She made this decision as she has a passion for others wellbeing and healing.

In 2011 she began her studies as a massage therapist at Q Academy and went on to study remedial therapy completing her certificates in 2012. Since then she has used her passion and knowledge to provide relief and healing to many giving them quality of life and assisting in enhancing their body’s movement in achieving their goals. Samantha also participates regularly in a lot of the classes at Tribal MMA & Fitness Centre, so she understands that the body can some times get sore.

Samantha has a certificate IV in massage therapy and certificate in remedial massage.

For bookings, contact staff at Tribal MMA & Fitness Centre.

‘Iron Mike Cooper’ Mike bio

New zealand born Mike is a certificate 3 and certificate 4 qualified personal trainer with a large and varied sporting background.

He has competed in mma and Bjj as well as trained with phuket top team in Thailand. He is also a competitor with the Austrailian arm wrestling circuit, holding wins over the light weight Australian champ, light weight Indian champ and over the 80kg Australian champ. He has also taken out the under100kg ISF qld comp. Aswell as many years of rugby union.

Mike has always been an extremely competitive person and this translates into his passion for helping others to reach there full health and fitness potential. This is not just a job for Mike this is something that he loves and is very devoted to.

Specialising in weight loss and full body strength development, Mike brings his arsenal of MMA workouts along with traditional weights and cardio together to lose weight and tone all in one. He is also very experienced with quick weight losses and gains having to move up and down weight divisions 10 to 15kg at a time.

Mike is extremely approachable and is always happy to help. “It makes my day seeing someone happy and knowing that I helped”.

“the secret of getting ahead is getting started”

Hayley Robinson, Yoga Instructor.

Yoga Instructor Hayley, is a Sunshine Coast local and has resided on the Coast since she was 6 years old.

Hayley traveled to London when she was 19 years old to experience the world and resided in London for 18 months before returning home to the Coast. During her travels, she gained valuable life skills, independence and resilience.

She has always had a keen interest in health and nutrition and began studying an Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Medicine, to broaden & enhance her knowledge & understanding of the body and it’s biochemical processes as a result of the food we consume.

A year later, she was accepted into the Queensland Police, so put her Nutritional studies on hold and began her formal training at the Oxley Academy. Hayley loved her role as a Police Officer and learned various skills and abilities along the way.

In 2014, Hayley was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease (Thyroid autoimmune disease) which made her even more conscious of how not only food, but lifestyle affect the body. Although she immensely loved her job, Hayley resigned from the QPS in 2016 due to her Hashimoto’s.

Having practiced yoga for 5 years under the guidance of Lindy Smith, Hayley was inspired to learn and understand more about the body and how epigenetic factors influence health and well being.

Hayley commenced her yoga teacher training in 2016, with Lindy as one of her facilitators. Her training offered an insight and deeper understand of herself, others and strengthened her humanitarian qualities.

During her time as a Police Officer, Hayley experienced her fair share of the detrimental effects emergency service work has both physically and mentally. Knowing how much yoga assisted in maintaining her physical and mental well-being, Hayley founded Hello Sunshine – Yoga & Health, a yoga service specifically for emergency service workers.

Hayley’s thirst for knowledge continues her on her journey to discover more about the functioning and healing of the body, so she can help others heal themselves. Her other areas of interest include; Myofascial release therapy, Reiki, epigenetics, quantum biology & quantum physics.

Hayley is also an artist and creates works of art in her spare time. A price list is also available for Hayley’s classes under her profile.

Qualifications:

Diploma of Public Policing – Queensland Police Service

Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine – Partial Completion

Certificate IV Small Business Management BSB40407

Yoga Instructor – Level 1– My Health Yoga

Reiki – Level 1 Certified

Thomas ‘The Fijian Superman’ Shackley.

Thomas is currently doing his certificate 3 and 4 in fitness. Thomas has been training for a number of years and decided to take the next challenge in terms of getting qualified. Thomas is a foundation member of Tribal as he started training at Tribal when we started in a small garage. Thomas loves connecting with new people training as his shy manner is very approachable. Thomas originally came from Melbourne and relocated to the Sunshine Coast in 2005. Thomas previous experience included working overseas on off shore oil rigs for a number of years. Thomas decided to leave his employment to pursue a career in fitness. We are very pleased to have Thomas part of our training group and he is going to add value to our growing Tribe. Thomas also has the nickname of Diamond backs. The next time you see Thomas have a look at his calves.